Box dumping machine



J y 1941- l. J. BLOND-ON ETAL 2,248,657

BOX DUMPING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1939 Irvin J Blonztow. Rebel-l .mZWO 'th-.

' ATTORNEY.

Patented July 8, 1941 paired STAT-ES PATENT orrieE Box DUMPING MACHINE- V Irvin J. Blondon and Robert E. Haworth, Po-

mona, Califl, assigno'rs to Brogdex Company, Pomona, Oa'lif., a corporation of Florida Application May 2, 1939, Serial :No. 271,404

Claims. 3'l..2'1 41. 1)

This invention relates to improvements in box dumping machines of the type adapted todump open-topped-boxes, crates and similar containers by tilting them sideways during travel along a continuous conveyor of the type generally described as a twisted conveyor. It is especially directed to means for jolting or jarring the boxes while in tilted dumping position to assist in'the complete discharge of the contents.

Although the invention is capable of wide application, it is particularly suitable for use in dumping field boxes of fruit, the fruit being discharged from the boxes onto the feed line-or conveyor system of a fruit'processi-ng or packing plant. Field boxes of this type-are intended for long and repeated use; and a feature of the invention is the provision of jolting mechanism adapted to operate directly on the boxes with adequate vigor to dislodge fruit which tends to remain in the boxes in spite of tilting thereof by the dumping conveyor, but which will operate without damage to the-boxes or their-contents.

Another feature of the invention is the incorporation of the box-jolting mechanism as part of the roller structure inthe series of rollers which convey and support the boxes during dumping. This is advantageously accomplished.

by mounting or forming on at least one of said rollers an eccentric projection which is periodically brought'into engagement with the lower face of a box traveling over the roller, serving to elevate the box face momentarily above its normal plane of travel and thereby to impart to the box the jolting or jarring necessary to assist the discharge of the contents. This arrangement has been found especially effective in machines provided with a series of driven boxsupporting rollers which directly engage and propel the boxes.

The box jolting projection may conveniently be mounted or formed on a roller of the. usual type arranged in conventional manner, and the invention therefore in readily applied to existing machines.

A specific feature of the invention is the provision of an arrangement for rotating the boxjolting roller independently of the associated rollers and advantageously at a greater'peripheral speed to provide .more effective jolting or jarring of the boxes, and to permitbetter control of the degree of such jolting.

Other objects and novel features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing .in which:

Fig. 1 is -a plan view of the dumping portion of a box-dumping machine embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the central portion of said machine taken from the left of Fig. '1 and showing the box-jolting rollers and drive connections thereof Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view-on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig.4 is-a fragmentaryelevation of a pair of rollers showing thesupporting and driving connections; and r e Fig.5 isan enlarged vertical section on line 5-5of Fig. 4.

This invention-is illustrated and described as applied to a box-dumping machine of the construction set forth in detail in the patent to Westrip -et al., No. 1,771,473, and only the parts of suchmechanism pertinent to the present invention will therefore be set forth in detail. The machine includes a twisted conveyor unit H mounted on a longitudinal support i3 carrying bearing members M in which is mounted drive shaft I5 which propels roller units indicated generally'at 16. Each unit 16 includes a pair of .angularly disposed generally barrelshaped rollers 11 and I3 rotatably mounted on stems 36 and 31, respectively, carried by supportingmember 34 provided with a hub 32 held in rotatably adjusted position in clamping sleeve 3! on bearing member M. The driveshaft I5 is Journaled in'a passage 35 in supporting member 34 andcarries a bevel gear 4| for each-roller unit 16, meshing with bevel gear 39 on the end of .roller ll, gear '39 in turn meshing with bevel gear lll' on the end'of roller I8.

.The successive roller units l6 are appropriately clamped to bearing members 14 so that the initial units will receive boxes in upright position discharged by conveyor 2%, successive roller units being progressively inclined so as to tilt the boxes gradually toward conveyor belt 22, dumping the box contents gradually onto the belt. The tilting is continued until the boxes are rotated through degrees or slightly more, so that the lower side of the box is substantially horizontal or slightly inclined downwardly and outwardly toward'belt 22, a suitable guide bar or brace 23 mounted on supporting members 24 being arranged 'to engage the margins of the open face of the box and retain it in place on the conveyor H. This general position of the -box,-with the lowermost side in generally horizontal or slightly inclined position, is termed herein the dumping position of such bo'x. The-roller units 1 6 beyond the central portion of the conveyor may be progressively inclined in the opposite direction to tilt each box back onto its bottom before it is discharged from the conveyor, though this is not necessary, and the box may remain on its side, after dumping, as shown.

For convenience the numerals employed in the description up to this point are identical with those used in the abovementioned patent to indicate similar parts; and it will be noted that the arrangement provides a twisted conveyor in which the boxes are supported and propelled by direct engagement with a series of rollers.

The desired jolting or jarring of the box while in dumping position is obtained by forming or mounting suitable projecting means on one or more of the rollers supporting the box in said position. In the form illustrated these rollers are barrel-shaped and are made of steel or cast,

iron. The projecting means consists of one or more cylindrical rods or tubes 46, two in the present instance, fixed to the surface or periphery of a roller it and extending longitudinally substantially from end to end of said roller. Tubes or rods 46 may be made of pieces of pipe and may be mounted on or secured to rollers it by welding; and when the peripheries of said rollers are corrugated or provided with grooves or recesses 45, as in Patent 1,771,473, said tubes or rods are preferably seated in said recesses. The relative diameter of tubes 46 and rollers ill will depend upon the conditions of operation and the jolting effect desired, one suitable arrangement employing tubes 46 that are approximately one-sixth the maximum diameter of roller I8.

A suitable number of properly spacedrollers l8 may be provided with the jolting members 46, and the rollers thus provided are advantageously separated by ordinary rollers I8 driven in the usual manner. It is also advantageous to arrange the jolting rollers l8 so that more than one jolting roller will operate on a-box at one time. The illustrated embodiment has, been found efiective, and includes two rollers 18* equipped with members 46 and spaced by a single standard roller IS. The arrangement is such that first one, then both, and finally only the second of the jolting rollers will engage a box passing along the conveyor in dumping position at a suitable point at which substantially all of the contents which can be discharged merelyby tilting have passed out of the box onto belt 22. This will ordinarily be at about the point Where each box is tilted to the maximum extent and is resting against the retaining bar 23; and the jolting of the box will ensure complete discharge of the contents, particularly that portion which cannot be discharged by mere tilting of the box.

The jolting rollers Ill are suitably arranged for rotation and they may be driven at any desired speed, by properly proportioned bevel gears, from drive shaft l5, as in the case of rollers l8: but it has been found advantageous to provide a separate drive arrangement for rollers l8, thereby facilitating the regulation and control of the speed of said rollers. One such driving arrangement is illustrated, and operates by engagement with'the outer ends of rollers I8 drive pinions on the inner ends thereof, corresponding to the pinions 40 on the rollers I8, being omitted.- In their stead a sprocket 41 is mounted on or secured to the outer end of each roller I8 and is driven by sprocket chain 48 trained around sprockets 4'! and a drive sprocket 49 carried by a drive shaft 50 which may be variable in speed and is connected with a suitable source of power, not shown.

When the illustrated machine is employed for dumping field boxes or crates of fruit onto a belt 22 which feeds the fruit to the conveyor system of a suitable processing plant, the crates traveling along belt are discharged onto rollers I1 and are tilted gradually to the left in Fig. 1, resting to a progressively greater extent on rollers l3 and gradually discharging the fruit onto belt 22, until each box rests on one side whose lower face is supported on rollers 18 in a suitable plane which advantageously is generally horizontal or slightly tilted downwardly toward belt 22, the box being held in place by bar 23. In

this zone the box travels over jolting rollers 18 and members 46 are brought successively into directengagement with the lower face of the box'by rotation of said rollers w said members momentarily striking and lifting the box from its engagement with the faces of rollers 18 and I 8 as the operative member 46 rises to uppermost position, and then letting the box descend as said member 46 continues its travel until the downward movement of the box is arrested by engagement with the surfaces of said rollers. A vertical oscillation or shaking and rocking movement is thereby imparted to the box; but it has been found that by employing generally rounded rods or tubes 46 the impact against the box surface does not tend to damage the box, although it imparts a satisfactory and effective jolting or jarring action thereto which dislodges and discharges any residual fruit in the box. The frequency with which each box is jolted or vibrated will of course depend upon the number of members 46 as well as the speed of rotation of rollers Hi and the arrangement therefore is capable of substantial variation to suit different conditions and types of containers. The amplitude of the vertical movement or agitation of the box is determined by the diameter of the members 46 which is also capable of variation in accordance with different conditions without affecting the general construction or operation of the apparatus. The rollers I8 are interchangeable and may be readily and rapidly replaced with rollers carrying members 46 of different type to adapt the machine for use with a different type of fruit.

While the invention is particularly intended for use in connection with boxes of fruit as set forth herein, it includes features which may be employed in connection with the discharge of materials of other types and under somewhat diiferent conditions. It will be understood that the term box as used herein includes other types of containers, such as crates, cartons and the like. Likewise, the term fruit is generically employed to include not only products generally classified under this term, such as citrus fruits, oantaloupes and the like, but also various vegetables and other articles and materials which are similarly handled and present similar problems.

What is claimed is:

1. A box dumping machine comprising means for conveying a box in dumping position, and rotatable box-supporting and advancing means adjacent the path of the box and provided with a portion intermittently projected into the box path by said rotation, arranged to agitate the box by direct contact therewith.

2. A box dumping machine comprising twisted conveyor means adapted to advance and tilt a box into different angular positions, and a rotatable member directly engaging and supporting said box, said member being provided with a projection adapted to intermittently strike and vibrate said box while the latter is in dumping position.

3. A box dumping machine comprising a plurality of rollers arranged to provide a twisted conveyor to advance and tilt a box into difierent angular positions, at least one of said rollers being provided with a peripheral eccentric portion directly engaging and jolting said box while the latter is in dumping position to facilitate discharge of its contents.

4. A box dumping machine embodying a twisted conveyor comprising a series of driven rollers adapted to support and advance a box and tilt it from a horizontal to an angular position, and means for driving at least one of said rollers at a greater speed than the remaining rollers in said series, said roller being provided with a peripheral projection adapted to intermittently strike and agitate said box while the latter is in dumping position;

5. In a box dumping machine comprising a twisted conveyor for conveying and tilting a box into dumping position, a driven rotatable boxsupporting and advancing member adjacent the path of the box and having a portion intermittently projected into the box path by said rotation to engage and agitate the box by direct contact therewith.

IRVIN J. BLON'DON. ROBERT E. HAWORTH. 

